What you can see above the water is only the top third of the Big Island’s largest volcano Mauna Kea. In fact it is the tallest mountain in the world when measured from its oceanic base. What this means for Kona fisherman is that the waters around the Big Island get very deep very quickly, giving anglers immediate opportunity to catch trophy fish within minutes of leaving the harbor.

Depending on where the fish have been, how long you’ve scheduled your trip, what you would like to do and what the weather and ocean conditions present determines where your captain will take you. Rest assured, there are plenty of places our experienced Kona charter captains can take you for the best opportunities to catch fish year-round.

Some of the popular areas include the “Grounds” which is a section of deep underwater ledge north of the harbor that push a lot of nutrients and fish to the surface. Within 3 -15 miles of the harbor reach are strategically placed fish aggregating buoys where our migrating species of gamefish often congregate. These buoys can be reached by our charter boats during 4, 6 and 8 hour excursions.

The State of Hawaii has placed these Fish Aggregating Devices or FADs (large buoys) in the waters surrounding the main Hawaiian Islands. These buoys attract schools of tuna and other important pelagic fishes, such as mahi-mahi, wahoo (Ono), Ahi and Billfish. FADs allow fishermen to easily locate and many times catch these species.

If snorkeling is on the agenda your captain will take you to pristine bays where you can swim or snorkel with the marine life below the surface.

Hawaii’s trade winds that blow from northeast to the southwest and Kona’s placement on the west side of three large volcanos allow for extremely calm sea conditions. The fishing and snorkeling areas are almost always calm combined with a gentle breeze. Whether it’s in the water or on it, Kona offers a year-round offshore paradise.